19 Best Foods That Help Burn Fat Even When You Rest

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Foods That Help Burn Fat

Some foods can increase resting energy expenditure (REE), making fat burn at rest. One example is tomato juice, which has esculeoside A that boosts REE. Whole grains need more energy to break down, so they use up more calories. Foods high in omega-9, like almonds and sunflower oil, also increase REE. Almonds, eggs, tamarind, coconut oil are some of the foods that help burn fat.

When people think of eating, they usually think of gaining calories. But what if you could burn fat while chowing down? It’s possible to prepare meals that double as fat-burning foods for weight loss. Some of these foods work by increasing resting energy expenditure (REE), or the amount of energy the body uses during rest. Some foods do this by boosting thermogenesis, or the body’s production of heat, a process that uses energy.

Your REE together with the energy you spend during exercise add up to give your total energy expenditure (TEE), the total number of calories you burn in a day.1

1. Tomato Juice

Tomato juice is jam-packed with a plant chemical called esculeoside A. It has the power to increase energy metabolism, helping you burn calories at rest. Esculeoside A can even stop cholesterol from building up! You’ll also get a healthy dose of vitamin A.2

This juice tastes best when cold. If you’re not keen on the taste, blend it with veggies like cucumber or carrots. Other tomato-based products can also double as fat burners.

2. Whole Grains

When you eat whole grains, the body needs to work harder to digest them. This will boost the amount of energy burned, unlike simpler refined white grains. As a result, REE will increase and help the body reach a favorable energy balance.

Whole grains like oatmeal and brown rice are natural fat-burning foods. Oatmeal contains soluble fiber, which not only controls your appetite but also regulates your blood sugar levels. A fluctuating blood sugar level could make you to feel hungry even when your body doesn’t really want the food. If you have a high sugar level, include oatmeal in your diet to lose weight and avoid white bread, pasta, and rice when possible.34

When you’re purchasing oatmeal, be careful. Most oatmeal brands contain high amounts of sugar but a low level of fiber. Always check the ingredient list, and go for the unsweetened variety.5

3. Almonds And Peanuts

Almonds are full of healthy monounsaturated fatty acids called oleic acid, or omega-9. It stimulates mitochondria – the energizing “battery” cells – which then increases REE. Omega-9 has even been shown to encourage physical activity because it contributes to a healthier brain function. On top of that, this healthy fat is linked to good mood.6

Peanuts contain healthy fats and essential nutrients like fiber, folate, magnesium, and vitamin E – something that is otherwise not present in regular low-carb foods. Studies suggest that including moderate amount of peanuts (yes, even peanut butter!) in your diet is another effective way to burn fat in a healthy way. Moreover, well-loved foods like peanut butter can make you stick to your diet longer.78

Add almonds and peanuts to your cereal or oatmeal. To keep things simple, simply snack on these superfoods.

4. Sunflower Oil And Coconut Oil

Sunflower oil also has high levels of omega-9. Like almonds, it helps mitochondrial function, thus using up more of the body’s calories, boosting REE, and melting fat.

Coconut oil balances hormones, which leads to a better functioning of the body and fat-burning. Unrefined coconut oil contains only 6.5 Calories per gram, as opposed to other fats that contain over 9 Calories per gram. Coconut oil is a healthy fat which when consumed in moderate quantities can help manage weight. If your metabolism rate is low, including coconut oil in your diet is a good way to increase it. A high metabolism burns more fat and makes you lose more weight.9MacDonald, Ruth, Cheryll Reitmeier. Understanding Food Systems: Agriculture, Food Science, and Nutrition in the United States. Academic Press, 2017.[/ref]

To turn meals into foods that burn fat, add a drizzle of sunflower oil or coconut oil. It works great on salad, pasta, and rice dishes. You can even whip up a simple dressing by mixing sunflower oil with vinegar and honey.

5. Lean Chicken

Lean chicken is a source of healthy protein, one of the major macronutrients. And compared to carbohydrate and fat, protein is highly thermogenic. This means that it produces heat by stimulating metabolism, which burns fat. Thermogenesis is a result of the body turning over extra protein since it doesn’t have a way to store it.10

For a filling food that burns fat, add skinless lean chicken to your list. Eat it with whole grains or salads.

6. Eggs

Eggs have all the essential amino acids, making them a complete protein. So they can boost thermogenesis just like lean chicken. Eggs will also increase satiety, stopping you from overeating later on.11

As fat-reducing foods, eggs are a great way to start your day. For the ultimate fat-busting snack, munch on almonds and hard boiled eggs.

7. Garbanzo Beans

When it burning fat, legumes like garbanzo beans have an all-round function. Their high protein content increases thermogenesis, while their fiber boosts fat oxidation. Legumes have also been associated with greater mitochondrial function, another factor in higher REE.12

8. Dairy Products

Often, low-calorie diets do not meet the calcium requirement of the body. If you are on a low-calorie diet, low-fat dairy is the way to go, as it is high in calcium and low in carbs.

In a study that examined the effects of dairy on overweight participants, a moderate consumption of dairy heightened the pace at which the body burned fats.1314 A high level of calcium in the diet is also linked to weight loss in women.

However, dairy products show weight-reducing properties only when they are used on a short-term basis.1516

9. Berries

Berries are not only delicious but also burn unwanted body fat. While the natural fructose sugar in berries satisfies your sugar craving, berry fiber fills you up and reduces your appetite for junk food. Berries contain antioxidants, which reduce belly fat and lower cholesterol. They also activate leptin, the hormone that suppresses hunger and prevents overeating.

Strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries are some of the berries that will help in the easy and fast burning of unwanted fat.17 According to studies, blueberries, in particular, can significantly reduce abdominal fat and promote weight loss.1819

Make yourself a berry smoothie or have frozen berries as dessert.

10. Fish And Fish Oil

Poison cuts poison, and fat cuts fat. So fatty fish might just be “The Fat-Burning Food,” especially for men. Fatty fish contains omega-3 fatty acids that stimulate the secretion of leptin, the hunger-killing hormone. These omega-3 fatty acids to move into the body cells and act as fuel for burning the body fat. Fish oil omega-3s also store the excess glucose in the body as glycogen, instead of fat. They are also known to reduce inflammation, which could contribute to weight gain.20212223Here’s a complete list of fish oil benefits.

11. Green Tea

Switching from coffee to green tea might actually be worth it, thanks to the appetite-suppressing properties of green tea. It not only stops the body from absorbing high calories but also provides healthy micronutrients like polyphenols and flavonoids. Green tea also has proven effects in controlling the weight of obese individuals by increasing their metabolism rate and inhibiting the effects of insulin. Another way in which green tea aids weight loss is by promoting thermogenesis. This is why most weight loss management programs incorporate green tea in their recommended diets.2425

12. Green Vegetables

Here’s another reason to include those green veggies in your diet – they help reduce weight! Green vegetables fill you up and provide your body with essential nutrients, such as fiber, vitamin C, folate, and manganese. The best way to consume green vegetables if you want to burn the unneeded fat is to grind them into your smoothie. Chlorophyll, in its liquid form, suppresses hunger, which in turn burns unhealthy fat. Liquid chlorophyll also improves the functioning of the digestive system and maintains a healthy metabolism rate.2627

Spinach, cabbage, and parsley are some of the green vegetables that help you shed fat and lose weight. You could also opt for liquid chlorophyll drinks.

13. Tamarind

Tamarind is extensively used as a condiment in the Eastern countries. This sour fruit is not just mouth-wateringly tasty but it also helps burn fat and promote weight loss. Tamarind eliminates unneeded body fat by inhibiting the production of fat cells. It discourages carbohydrates from being stored as fat in the body, making sure that you do not put on extra weight. Tamarind also heightens the metabolic function of the body and promotes the growth of lean muscles.2829

Tamarind rice and tamarind-based curries are a delicious way to shed those extra pounds – a win-win situation, really.

14. Turmeric

Turmeric is widely known for its skin-cleansing and anti-inflammatory properties. But it can also be used in your diet to burn fat and lose weight. The herb lowers high blood cholesterol levels, fights against obesity, and helps you maintain your weight. It also stimulates the mitochondria present in your body cells to break down more fat and reduces the formation of fat tissues3031

Add a pinch of turmeric to your favorite food to make it a fat-burning dish!

15. Avocados

That’s right, avocados could help you shed those extra pounds! A mistake that most of us make in an attempt to lose weight is completely avoiding fats. Contrary to popular belief, not all fats are unhealthy. Fats are a part of a well-balanced diet and are required by the body. However, since fats contain high amounts of calories, you must consume them in moderation. Avocados are high in fiber and monounsaturated fat and are an ideal snack to keep you full and healthful.3233

16. Dark Chocolate

It’s time to eat your favorite dark chocolate guilt-free! The cocoa beans contained in dark chocolates can significantly increase your metabolism. A polyphenol called resveratrol (also present in red wine!) can change white fat into the calorie-burning beige or brown fat. The other polyphenols in dark chocolates also help the body easily absorb glucose from the chocolate and burn fat in the process.34

Always go for dark chocolates that contain over 70 percent cacao.

17. Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar contains acetic acid, which regulates the speed at which the sugar in your food is absorbed by the intestine. This keeps you full longer, controls your appetite, and reduces spikes in insulin and sugar levels.3536 Apple cider vinegar also reduces the production of fat, helping you lose weight.

Moreover, the acetic acid in apple cider vinegar suppresses the genes responsible for producing fatty acids in the liver. It also activates the enzyme AMPK in the liver, which increases fat burning and reduces fat synthesis.3738

In one study, having just 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar a day helped participants reduce 1.2 kg (2.6 pounds) on average. Those who had 2 tablespoons lost 1.9 kg (3.7 pounds) on average.39

18. Chilled Sweet Potatoes

No, potatoes aren’t the enemy of a fat-burning diet, at least not sweet potatoes. A chilled sweet potato dish is the most filling snack there is! When you chill the sweet potato, the cooling process crystallizes tubers into resistant starch. This starch takes a considerable amount of time to break down, thereby keeping you full for longer and reducing hunger pangs. The breakdown of the starch also releases butyrate, which burns fat and maintains your weight. Sweet potatoes also contain RSCs that stimulate hormones to suppress your appetite and burn fat.4041

19. Plums

Now, what if you are overweight despite a healthy diet? You could blame the genes that encourage the storage of fat in the body. Plums contain flavonoids called anthocyanins that reduce the activity of these fat-storing genes. This limits the amount of fat stored in the body and helps in weight management.424344

Don’t Forget To Exercise

Even after eating a food that can burn fat, don’t forget exercise. Physical activity is essential for losing more calories than you take in. Think about your diet as a whole and include the foods on this list as much as possible.

That said, before including these foods in your diet, ensure that you are not allergic or sensitive to any of them. If you have medical conditions like diabetes or irritable bowel syndrome, consult your doctor and make sure that these foods are safe for you to consume. It is also important to eat the foods in moderation. If you overeat fat-burning food (like nuts), you might gain what you’re trying to lose – fat!

Disclaimer: The content is purely informative and educational in nature and should not be construed as medical advice. Please use the content only in consultation with an appropriate certified medical or healthcare professional.